The Division
I singles championship was a repeat of the Southwest sectional and district
finals where Cincinnati Ursuline Academy’s Mehvish Safdar (So.), the 2010 DI
doubles champion, defeated last year’s Division I singles state champion
Sandy Niehaus (Jr., Cincinnati Mt. Notre Dame) 6-1, 7-5. Safdar joined the
singles tournament after the graduation of her sister and partner Komal
Safdar, the 2009 DI singles champion. In the consolation match, Toledo St.
Ursula Academy’s Kennedy Shaffer (Fr.) won by an injury default over
Westlake junior Lauren Golick, who finished third last year. Shaffer
competed against eventual state champion Safdar in the semifinals before
losing 6-3, 6-3.

The Division II 2010 Dublin Jerome doubles runner-up partners Lauren
Bellinger (Jr.) and Sarah Stein (Jr.) returned to the state tournament to
claim the 2011 crown. They defeated Columbus Bishop Watterson’s Katie
Shepherd (Jr.) and Lauren Ghidotti (So.) 0-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) in a match that
lasted 2 hours and 20 minutes. The consolation match featured Upper
Arlington’s Elaine Cloern (Jr.) and Audrey Berger (Fr.) against Aundrea
Busse (So.) and Julie Brockman (Jr.) of Springboro. After a losing a close
semifinal match to Dublin Jerome, Upper Arlington came out strong and
defeated Springboro 6-1, 6-3. It was the 33rd appearance by an Upper
Arlington team or player at the state tournament.

The Division II singles tournament pitted a No. 3 seed against a No. 1 seed,
but the 2010 singles runner-up Rachel Nelson (Jr., Millersburg West Holmes)
wouldn’t be upset as she defeated Lexington’s Courtney Earnest (Sr.) 7-5,
6-2. It was the third-straight state appearance for Nelson, who finished
fourth in the 2009 doubles bracket with her sister Mary Nelson. In the
consolation match, My Linh Li (Jr., Columbus St. Francis DeSales) defeated
Danielle Wolf (Fr., Cincinnati Country Day) 2-6, 6-3, 6-1. Li also made a
state appearance in 2009 when she won the doubles tournament with her sister
Kim My Li.